Smartphones will soon be able to share power by touching other devices

Smartphones will soon be able to share power by touching other devices

Technology exists that allows phones and other mobile devices that
are touching or nearly touching to share files. Now that concept could
rise to a whole new level, allowing nearby devices to also share power, reports TechXplore.

The
new technology, developed by researchers at the University of Bristol
in the U.K., will work via an app called PowerShake, and it will
function using many of the same principles at play with wireless power
transmission. Basically, coils inside each device will allow for the
sending and receiving of energy through a generated, localized
electromagnetic field.

Currently, the biggest drawback to the
technology is power transfer between devices has proven to be fairly
inefficient; around half of the power gets lost in transmission.

The
prototype transfers about a minute's worth of operating power in just 12
seconds, or if both users concur, one device can give another enough
power to run for four minutes with a two-minute charge. It's not ideal
but it's also promising, for a prototype.

Obviously, simply
plugging in your smartphone or tablet will remain the best and most
efficient way to power a device, but in a pinch, the technology could be
a lifesaver.

For instance, it could be useful when traveling outdoors
or backpacking, or perhaps even when there's an emergency and the power
goes out.

The next step for researchers is to conduct real-world
tests so efficiency might be increased in future models. Marketing
groups will need to be assembled to test how often the technology might
be used by actual consumers. It's all just one step closer to a fully
immersed wireless world.